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What is your family origin story? When Michaeldavid was in 3rd grade, one of his projects was to explore family origins. He had to interview seven family members. He was responsible for creating the questions and logging them. The other portion of the project involved bringing in a favorite heirloom. Michaeldavid and his classmates were required to have a presentation board with pictures and a write-up from those he interviewed.
On presentation day, he was asked to bring a meal representing his family heritage that would be enough for 100 people. You can imagine the presentation was a family affair—an expensive project. One of his classmates' mother rolled the dough for her daughter's cannolis for two days. She had become so invested in the project that her husband had to remind her that this was a 3rd-grade project, not her master's degree project.
Since I am not a baker, I did the next best thing and bought the food representing our heritage. The food we brought to represent our heritage was Patti Labelle's sweet potato pies. It is a nod to my mother and the many African-American families who celebrate the gift of the yam or sweet potatoes they brought from Africa. It is one of my children's favorite southern desserts.
Sunday, we are celebrating family traditions in worship! We are exploring the chapter Origin Stories from Rachael Held Evans's book Inspired. One of the biblical stories she highlights is the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Can you imagine how this story was passed along? Did those who heard Jacob's story believe he had a wrestling match with God? Perhaps those who listened to the tale imagined he was filled with new wine. It may be a more profound question to imagine what is holding us back. What things are you wrestling with? As we prepare for Sunday's worship, you are invited to bring some family origin stories, stories from your childhood, and how a family recipe came to be.
I look forward to this intergenerational service. Fourth Sundays are unique because we can sit at a table and talk during worship. Summer worship allows us to learn, listen, and laugh together.
Scripture: “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
But he answered, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there (Genesis 32:24-29).
Prayer for Today
God, we confess to you that sometimes our worries seem too big. We don’t see a way out of our current situation, and your timing seems different than what we would have chosen. But we know and believe that no matter how much we’ve struggled, you alone can see the big picture. Help us hear your voice through difficult days. Help us to set our eyes on you alone. Help us to keep moving in the direction you are leading us. Thank you for your reminders that through every weakness and hard place, your strength is displayed beautifully throughout our lives. We can’t do it on our own. We’re so freshly aware of that. But you can work your great miracles in us and through us. Amen
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